


Necrosis

by Carillon23



Category: South Park
Genre: Aged-Up Character(s), Alien Biology, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Alternate Universe - Space, Androids, Blood and Violence, Body Horror, Breeding, Egg Laying, Graphic depictions of violence - Freeform, Horror, Implied/Referenced Brainwashing, Jealousy, K2 - Freeform, M/M, Mildly Dubious Consent, More Tags To Come As This Story Updates, Non-Consensual, Non-Consensual Body Modification, Non-Consensual Drug Use, Oviposition, Rape/Non-con Elements, Sci Fi AU, Sexual Content, Vomiting, Xenomorphs, You Have Been Warned, cryle - Freeform, one-sided
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-01-26
Updated: 2020-08-24
Packaged: 2021-02-27 04:08:23
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 8
Words: 16,564
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22410766
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Carillon23/pseuds/Carillon23
Summary: A small team of explorers descend on the newly terraformed planet LV-49, unprepared for the horrors that await them.SP x Alien Universe Crossover.
Relationships: Kyle Broflovski/Craig Tucker, Kyle Broflovski/Kenny McCormick
Comments: 20
Kudos: 79





	1. Blooming

Chapter 1: Blooming

Their ship had drifted through the vastness of space for over three years. Despite having arrived at their destination planet in a year, the commander in chief of the ship, Stan, had deemed it too risky to enter the planet's atmosphere. He instructed his crew to wait until the climate generator replicated the necessary conditions to sustain life; meaning any samples of soil fauna needed to turn up clear as far as toxicity levels went. Until then, they had to remain on board. Biding time was the hardest part; as they counted down the days to landing on LV-49. Like many of the days on the ship, Stan was busying himself with the same magazine he gone through countless times. Kyle was adjusting the microscope after having checked to make sure the glass was free of any contaminants. Tests were done frequently; every day in fact, and having dirty equipment would only increase the margin of error. While Kyle tinkered around with his inventions, Kenny observed him with a curious eye; one hand resting against his chin. He waited until the young man’s back was turned, before sneaking in for a quick kiss on his exposed neck.

“Ken-” Kyle turned around to face him with a slight smile; tucking a metal wrench into his hand. “Just the man I wanted to see. It’s about time for Craig’s weekly maintenance.” Kyle’s stance was all business, indicating that he wouldn’t entertain any other activity until Kenny had serviced the android.

“Ya know? Sometimes, I think you care about that hunk of metal more than you care about me.” Kenny pouted at the red-haired scientist, who was currently engrossed in his lab work.

“Nuh-uh, you’re not getting out of this one. “ Kyle began to rush him out the door. “That hunk of metal, is our ‘son’. You wrote the code for him, you’re the one responsible for maintaining him.” Kenny looked at him, smiling slightly. They had these little ‘arguments’ every now and then, and Kyle was always in tune with how the other was feeling. He really sucked at this hiding emotions thing. “Hey now. I did let you write some code too. I showed you where to edit.”

Kyle laughed. “Alright, ok, a few lines. Did I miss any other signatures on the birth certificate?”

“No,” Kenny grinned, “Did you? Because that would seriously explain the way he boots up, like, ran, straight out of the lab if I remember right. The doctor was shocked.” He rubbed his arm when Kyle punched it.

Trying to dispel any uneasiness, though it was probably unneeded now; the young scientist added, “He really cares about you, you know.”

“And?...who else cares?” The blond raised an eyebrow, playing coy.

“I do, Kenny.” Kyle grinned and winked at the mechanic. “If you hurry back in around forty minutes," He paused to check on the sample in the petri dish. "I’ll meet you in the back and show you just how much you're appreciated around here.”

“Deal.” The blond mechanic responded and wandered off to find the android.

* * *

Craig was in the middle of sorting samples, all from various regions of the planet at different stages of time. He knew they were on the cusp. The climate generator would finish its work soon, and then it would be safe to land. Hands steady, he began putting each of the samples safely away into their respective containers. He stood up when he detected a familiar mop of blond hair in his peripheral vision.

“At it again?” Kenny said. “Do you really need to work on that stuff fifteen hours a day?” Even knowing that Craig was an android, it was still strange; seeing him work through all hours of the day, never getting hungry or tired. Essentially, Craig saved the crew the work of at least three men and which was why the company initially commissioned Kyle to construct and Kenny to program him. It was rather the point of Kenny being here after he completed the job, the A.I. could easily replace him and make his presence on the ship extraneous. Kenny hated these intrusive thoughts; a train that Kyle constantly tried to steer him away from.

“Professor Broflovski’s work is of utmost importance. I do not have the metabolic requirements as that of a human and I will use the extra time allotted to me as I see fit.” Craig’s matter-of-fact speech never failed to make Kenny roll his eyes. That was certainly Kyle’s hand in the programming alright.

“Well, it’s break time.” Kenny said, wagging his wrench at Craig. By this point, maintenance only took around thirty minutes; Kenny having taken out all the kinks that were left in the machinery from when Kyle and he first built Craig. Just a little hydraulic fluid to make sure his internal temperature was stabilized, and check for any memory that hadn’t been partitioned correctly...and the process was complete.

Having been on the ship for so many years allowed Craig ample time to think about his duties on board the ship. An android is one of the best tools a crew can have. Reduces casualties, error by ninety-one percent, as well as having the advantage of work being accomplished when the rest of the crew is asleep. All of these things had been explained to him by the professor. However, in the event that he was out of commission, he had also calculated the survival rates of each individual crew member. His gaze flitted to McCormick; testing the synthetic tendons embedded into the muscle of his arm. His was only sixty-seven percent even under optimal conditions.

“There,” Kenny said, screwing the panel in Craig’s arm closed. “All done now. Wheels are squeaky clean.” He picked his tools from the side table, throwing them hastily into the toolbox, as he was anxious to get back to a redhead that was almost certainly waiting for him. He shrugged off a shudder as he walked past the android and out of the room; who never once uttered a word of thanks after any of these sessions. “You’re welcome.”

* * *

To say that Kyle was anything but shy when it came to sex was an understatement. From their very first meeting, the blond mechanic and the redhead had hit it off. The first ten minutes had garnered a brief conversation about the semantics of programming an A.I., as the ever-curious Kyle had taken an interest after having read Kenny’s file. And well, Kenny entertained that for about another ten minutes before flat out flirting with the red-head, and Kyle thought him too charming not to go along with it. Within two hours, Kenny was nailing him in the ship’s communal baths. Even with the shower turned on at full blast, the loud moans they were making lured in the ship captain, who arrived to investigate the source of sounds. The incident deeply traumatized Stan, much to Kenny’s amusement and Kyle’s chagrin.

Now for a change of scene-- Kyle had situated himself in a more inconspicuous setting. He sensually took off his white lab coat, draping it onto the back of a chair and motioned for the blond to come closer.

“How did it go?”

“Oh ya know, same as always. It’s the one hundred and eighty-eighth time our robot son has forgotten how to say thank you.”

“Maybe we should’ve programmed in better manners.” The blond mused.

“Maybe.” Roaming hands found the blond’s belt, undoing it along with his trousers. “ Until he-- “ Kenny’s breath hitched into his throat as the redhead took in the length of shaft into his mouth. “Learns--”

“Shhh--” Kyle’s breath was hot against the blond’s skin, as he closed his lips around Kenny again, and began bobbing his head down along the blond’s cock. The redhead glided his tongue along Kenny’s hard member, licking his lips as he tasted the salty beads of pre-cum before going at it some more. Once the blond was fully erect, he tore open a condom packet, rolling it onto the shaft with his mouth. “For easier cleanup,” Kyle grinned, tossing the scrunched up wrapper behind them nonchalantly. Mirroring his expression, Kenny kissed Kyle’s soft lips and placed his hands around the redhead’s slender waistline.

“So you want it like this?” Kenny said, voice thick in Kyle’s ear. “I know you like the full experience.” He nodded towards the bed.

“No,” Kyle said. “You know I like skipping to the best parts.”

And so they both agreed that fucking upright against the wall was not a bad idea tonight. The blond mechanic lined up his hard cock with Kyle’s ass, slowly pushing his way in. No matter how many times it happened, Kyle could never tire of this feeling. The warm feeling of Kenny’s dick filling his insides, of being stretched out and the reassuring touch of Kenny’s hands on his skin-was pure euphoria. Judging from Kenny’s reaction, he felt the same way. The blond groaned in pleasure as he pressed deeper into his lover, increasing the pace of his thrusts.

Fuck.” Kenny panted as he reached his limit and came inside the smaller man, with Kyle following not very far behind. “When did you get so good?”

“When you’ve fucked around with the same dick more than a hundred times, you'd better hope you're good.” Kyle teased, sticking his tongue out at the blond.

“Fair.” He pecked the redhead lightly on the cheek.

* * *

Stan mused to himself as he stared out of the window panel. He stared down at his watch. One thirty-two a.m. But did that really matter? They were in fucking space. And in this moment, as he sat listlessly in his chair with an open can of beer, time was mute. Cold alcohol washed down his throat, and he would have continued to enjoy it, had it not been for Craig’s sudden reflection scaring him into a choking fit.

“Captain--”

“What the fuck, man?! Knock!”

In the room illuminated by the dimmed fluorescent lights, usually so harsh in the daytime, Stan saw the strands of black hair fall over the android’s face, as he moved over to the window; raising his hand, and tapped the glass three times. Suffice to say, that Stan only scoffed.

“I have good news, Captain.”

This caused Stan to sit up in his chair, any hint of bitterness in his voice now gone.

“You’re aware of the length of time it’s been since your last report, Craig?”

“Twenty-three days, six-hours, and thirty-six seconds. I am aware. The generator has finally made a significant breakthrough with the adjustments to the planet. It will be habitable in thirty-eight hours. Did you not observe them in the soil samples you collected?”

“Dude, it’s just a hobby. The analyzing’s your job.”

“And the professor’s.”

“Did you show him?” Stan found it odd, as Craig was never one to confide in him with such information before showing it to Kyle.

“I went to find him, but it seems the professor has already gone to sleep.”

“And Kenny too, right?”

“McCormick? How is that relevant?”

Stan yawned. “Shouldn’t be. Not to you anyway. Anyway, I'm heading to bed. You should tell Kyle this information first thing tomorrow.” The captain discarded the now empty can on the side table of his chair.

And Craig watched as Stan left the room; silently pondering the meaning of his words.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Thus ends the first chapter with the introduction of the main characters. Next chapter things will start to get tense. Who said the fun only happens in space?


	2. Morphology

The hours of the night passed in silence, as Craig read through the texts that Kyle uploaded to the archive. From the information he gathered, he saw myriad instances in which the emotions of humans were expressed. Anger, fear, regret, pain. He witnessed it all in the span of two-thousand one hundred and sixty two lines. But the one emotion he could not grasp as to its necessity was love. Human beings could still procreate and carry on the species without this. The same thought had quietly crept into his mind a few times before.

"This is Macbeth," Kyle said, transferring the book data to Craig. "I thought maybe you could start with this one since classic literature is important."

Craig had browsed through its contents. "William Shakespeare."

Kyle nodded. "Yes. I need to get back to some lab work, but let me know how you like it or if you have any questions."

Well, Craig didn't think he would have any questions, until he did. The android would contemplate asking Kyle many times; when they passed in the hall, after Craig gave one of his reports, before Kyle went to bed. But even after all this time he still had not been able to ask this.

Soon morning came, and the sound of activity was heard outside the android’s door. Good. Now he could go and break this important news to professor Broflovski. He got up from his chair and headed out the door, briefly passing Stan. A muffled ‘hello’ escaped passed the toothbrush in his mouth, before he groaned slightly. He must have had too much alcohol again last night. Then the android arrived at the door that had read KYLE B.

He raised his fist, preparing to knock, when he heard a sound.

“Oh shit, Ken, it’s too early for this!”

“C’mon.” McCormick's voice was heard, unmistakable and clear through the door. “This project's been stressing you out the most. You should relax some more.”

And it was true, Kyle did not want to get out of bed, or for Kenny to leave just yet.

“Like for starters,” Kenny’s face broke out in that tell-tale grin of his, and he placed himself between Kyle’s legs. “I haven’t given you head for a while.”

“That’s because I haven’t asked you to.” Kyle’s face was blushing red, and Kenny enjoyed teasing. Seeing the adorably embarrassed kyle return; like they hadn’t just fucked around last night. Kenny’s fingers ghosted over the waistband of the redhead’s boxers.

“Would you like me to? Bet it would help. Besides, you sucked me off last night.”

“Ok, fine, but make it quick--Jesus!” Kyle sucked in a breath when the blond pulled his boxers down with record speed, and took his cock in his mouth. Perhaps Kyle shouldn’t have told Kenny to go fast; the expert soon had the red-haired man with his head against the pillow, blond hair tangled between his fingers.

“Fuck, Ken--”

“Professor Broflovski?”

Unbeknownst to the two in bed, Craig had come into the room, and it took Kyle a moment to realize he was there.

Kenny understood when Kyle pushed him off; as he hastily pulled his boxers back up and jumped out of bed.

“Craig? What are you doing?” Kyle said, pushing him back out of the room.

Craig didn’t understand. Why was McCormick in his bedroom? “I have finished the latest report.” He said. “It is--”

“Oh,” Kyle said. “Oh, the report, yes, you may show me later. Now may you please??” He made an outward motion with his hand. But Craig only stood in the doorway when he went back inside. He stood there for a while, unable to move, processing the image of Kenny hovering over the redhead--doing whatever it was--he did not see. But Kyle seemed to like it. He waited some more, thinking that Kyle was perhaps finishing up and getting dressed now. He decided to come in once more, and was once again greeted with a familiar scene, but different--Kenny was on top of Kyle again; plowing him into the mattress. They didn’t seem to notice Craig, as he stood by the doorway and watched silently. He didn’t understand why he was bothered by the way Kenny touched Kyle. The way the blond kissed him. The way the redhead shuddered and showed a side of himself he had never seen before. Even after they finished, Craig was still fixed to the floor.

“Shit,” Kyle rasped, finally noticing their observer. Kenny turned around, and his face evinced anger.

“Wow,” Kenny said. “Your manners really are shit.”

“Why are you doing that?” Was all Craig managed to ask before Kenny threw a shoe at him.

“Get out,” Kenny growled. “Get out, or I'll kick your ass.”

“Ken!”

Craig disregarded the heated stare that the blond directed towards him. “Please come meet me when you are ready for the briefing, professor.” And with that Craig turned and left. The image of what he had seen in that room was now seared into his mainframe; and as he walked down the hallway, something inside the android twisted beyond repair.

* * *

During the mission briefing, not once had Kyle looked in Kenny’s direction. He even made a point of walking right past the open seat Kenny had saved for him. Without explanation, the redhead was inexplicably giving him the cold shoulder, and the blond mechanic could only guess as to why. Stan went over the landing procedures, preliminary plans for setting up base camp, and the emergency exit procedures. After that, the meeting was adjourned and they were dismissed. The redhead wasted no time in leaving the room. And, Kenny shortly found out why; spotting the redhead talking animatedly with the android in the corridor.  
So, it was just him that Kyle was ignoring. Logic dictated that he was mad about what happened this morning. Kenny sighed inwardly. He had better clear up the air now, because if experience had taught him anything, Kyle would hold this over his head for weeks.  
Kenny waited until their conversation was finished before heading over to apologize to the redhead.

“Ky. Look,” He began. “I’m sorry. Whatever it is--” The young scientist’s voice was curt; cutting off anything the blond could say next.

“Nope, try again. It's not me who you need to apologize to.”

Kenny was taken aback by the request. “You want me to apologize to Craig?”

The redhead confirmed, nodding his head.  
“You should. Because you yelled at him, and threw a shoe at his head like he was some kind of animal.”  
Kenny was at a loss for words. He vehemently disagreed with Kyle’s stance on the android. Craig was--well, he wasn’t an animal because he wasn’t even alive. He was an A.I., programmed to obey direct orders, to be a useful tool to the crew of Voyager and save on time and manpower. But it seemed that Kyle believed in something else entirely.

“You don’t understand. A direct command should be absolute to him. We ordered him to get out and he came right back inside.” Kenny tried to make sense of it all; like why Kyle was pissed off at him over something he had no control over--an apparent glitch in the android’s programming. “Look, Ky,” He said. “I’m sorry, but--I coded him to do exactly as he is told. To never disobey.”

Kyle wrung his hands together before continuing. “No. I saw that code and disabled it.”

“What?” The blond’s composure was starting to slip. Shit. He should have reviewed the adjustments Kyle made before uploading it. He never thought the redhead would do such a brash and dangerous thing without telling him.  
It did explain why Craig unnerved him and why he rarely listened to commands. The android only listened when he felt like it.

“Yeah, so. I forgot to tell you. I um, also made a few other adjustments.” The young scientist admitted this fact sheepishly; and Kenny held his breath, waiting for the next stone to fall. “I introduced chaos theory to the logic algorithm so that he can experiment and learn on his own, instead of just, you know, following the base steps you programmed.”

So on top of not following commands, Craig was also unstable. Great. Just great.  
The blond snorted derisively, recalling his moment of weakness--when he was completely enamored with the redhead after their romp in the sack that night, and had let him tweak whatever code he wanted. Kenny made a mental note to never let an attractive booty call - Kyle or not, distract him from work again.

“Forgot? You forgot… something as important as this? Holy fuck, Ky.” Kenny was at a total loss. “You understand, that what you just did… is done only under controlled testing environments. And even then, the A.I. is limited to only responding to questions, not to be in here.” He gesticulated wildly, waving his arm around. “Physically interacting with us.”  
Kenny shook his head firmly. “Look, Craig is dangerous and needs to be deactivated. What happened this morning confirms it. Him barging in on us, then just standing there and watching us like some kind of psycho.”

“He was just curious.”

Kenny could not believe that Kyle was still defending Craig. Like he hadn’t just broken every single rule in the book when it came to developing artificial intelligence. He had created an A.I. that could learn and had free will. How that wasn’t a dangerous combination to him was beyond Kenny.

“Craig wouldn’t hurt a fly.” Kyle scoffed, “We're not deactivating him; not until he does something actually ‘dangerous.’

Kenny wanted to reopen the issue for debate, but before he could escalate it, Kyle checked his watch and told him that he had to run back to the lab; a thinly veiled excuse to dodge the pending conversation.

The blond mechanic was left wondering if he should tell Stan about this before their scheduled landing in twelve hours, because by the time Craig did something dangerous, it would already be too late.

* * *

The wait before the landing was full of anticipation. Because they would be landing early, the docking point had to be decided carefully. It took several hours to find an area where the toxins had been mostly cleared by the generator. From the origin point, a circumference of twenty kilometers around the station was deemed safe to explore and gather any information that they could find. Kyle was the first to step off the ship, with Craig following quietly behind, and Kenny tried not to look at the android when their eyes met.

“Now remember,” Stan said. “While we’re splitting off into teams, communication is still key. If you find anything strange, be sure to report back to base.”

Once Kyle and Craig were out of sight, Kenny turned to Stan.

“Explain to me how you came to this decision again?”

The captain sighed. “You’re clawing at each other’s throats. Even I can see that. It’s bad for the mission, so I think you should lay off for a while.”

“‘Lay off?’” Kenny said. “Don’t give me that shit. You’re friends with him too.”

“Kenny, I don’t want to deal with this right now. Whatever you got going on between you and Kyle is your own business, and you can handle it later. Stan pinched the bridge of his nose, trying to clear up a pounding headache. “We’ve only got one shot at this mission and we can’t fuck it up.”

The blond sighed. Stan was right. As much as he was worried about Kyle, especially being around Craig, the mission was still important and he couldn’t lose sight of that. “Ok,” He said, “But I’m gonna check in on him.” Stan nodded. This was as much of a compromise as he was going to get.

While they headed off in the other direction, Kyle had settled down by a stream they had found. “Craig, look.”

The morning light had settled on him, softening the contours of his face, showcasing red locks that framed strikingly beautiful features. Was this what Mccormick saw in Kyle every time he looked at him? No, that wasn’t it. This. This was something the classless mechanic could never comprehend. He came around and situated himself beside the young scientist. “Did you find something?”

“Can you believe it? Look. The sketches I made are nearly identical to the other fauna I hypothesized.” He held up a part of a flower against the faded ink in his sketchbook. Craig noted that it resembled milkweed from Terra-3, with ubiquitous, pale magenta blooms sprouting from a single stem. The flowers were absorbing the toxins from the soil, and making it safe to cultivate. “Imagine,” He said. “How this place will look once the climate change is finished, and we bring more people here. It will be just like home.”

Craig regarded Kyle’s words. “You would continue the same methods that humanity carried out on Terra-3 here?”

Kyle looked at him, confused. “Yes? The same as we have always done.”

“Would it not be better to research how to improve the quality of life on Terra-3, rather than continuing to expand to new planets? Humans may repeat their mistakes otherwise.”

The red-head frowned. “Craig, that is a wonderful suggestion...but, unfortunately, repeating history is a shortcoming humans have. Our lifespans are so ephemeral, we only focus on the present. If we could learn from our past mistakes, we wouldn’t have needed to come here. This place--LV49 is the 49th prospective planet in the solar system to replace Terra-3, which has already been polluted.”

“But, I agree with you.” He added, “ Maybe it’s time we found a home that we can sustain. And if we can’t, humans will face extinction once again, just like we once did on our original home planet--Earth.”

“Earth?” Craig inquired. He had no stored knowledge of a planet called earth, and if it did exist, it must be located far beyond this solar system. “Where is Earth?”

“It was located beyond Orion’s belt; our first home. We took it for granted. War, famine, disease; all of them made the planet uninhabitable and nearly wiped out all of humanity.”

“Were you there? What was earth like?” Craig posed the question out of curiosity, prompting the sound of Kyle’s laughter in response.

Kyle smiled. Talking to the android was like a breath of fresh air. Craig didn’t argue against his views like Kenny did; but instead questioned him more, trying to come to an understanding. “No, silly. That happened thousands of years ago. I would have to be some kind of an immortal to have been there. I’m a descendant of one of the survivors; just like Kenny and Stan are. We came from a line of ancestors who lived on earth. In any event, people live and die--the maximum lifespan we have is one hundred and twenty years in zero-gravity. We can only continue to propagate the species through breeding.” Craig processed the explanation before asking another question.

“I understand. So, was that what you and Kenny were doing that morning? Propagating the species?”

Kyle’s face turned bright red at that. “Um, no. Kenny and I cannot breed. That is to say--” The sound of static cut through the air, as Kyle’s device went off.

“Hey, Kyle? You doing ok?” It was Kenny. Kyle promptly turned it off. Why? Kenny’s timing was either perfect, or really bad. There was no in between. This brief pause still failed to clear any embarrassment, as Kyle looked back up at Craig. “--we are the same sex. So we’re just doing it purely for recreation.”

“I see. Then, if given the chance, would you be interested in breeding?” Kyle sputtered; blushing profusely at the suggestion. Craig noted that, although Kyle’s reaction to the topic differed from that of the blond, his heart rate still elevated and blood pressure had spiked. Humans must hold the act fairly sacred, but at the same time considered it a taboo. Though it seemed to craig, there was nothing to be ashamed of, it was just a part of human biology.

“Would you be willing to breed and establish a new colony?” Craig posed the question again when his first attempt got no response.

“I--Well. Let’s not entertain that thought of me personally doing it. But since you asked, I’ll explain why it’s not possible to start here from a genetic point of view. The company chartered us--a crew of three humans and an android to lead this expedition. And our end goal is to colonize this planet--for the sake of humanity, so that we can continue to survive and reproduce.”

Craig listened intently as Kyle continued; pleased with how much knowledge he could pull forth from the scientist when he wasn’t with McCormick.

“Now theoretically, even if there were only three humans left in the universe and they could breed with one another--there would still be the issue of genetic inheritance. There wouldn’t be enough variation in a population of three to produce a healthy colony. Which is why, we can’t begin until we move more people here.”

“But, why not?” Craig said. “Humanity has stagnated. Is that not another reason why we are here? We should be searching for other compatible creatures to coexist and reproduce with in my opinion. Only then will humanity be able to evolve beyond its current limitations.”

Kyle looked at Craig, speechless. This was not part of the mission at all. Where had Craig gotten these ideas? “Craig,” Kyle said steadily, “That is not part of why we are here, and I’m very sure you got that from one of the texts I let you read.”

“But that’s exactly it, professor,” Craig said. “Have you not wondered that these archived texts that were written hundreds of years ago, that the ideologies and practices could be put to use now? It would no longer stay fiction. It would become a reality. The proof that we are on another planet, that I am here, is already a step forward.”

Their close proximity was suddenly suffocating, as Kyle listened to the next words that Craig had to say.

“Would you like to help me achieve this goal?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: This story was written as a collaboration and I let my friend (main author/ abbreviated as M.A.) write the last ending note, so I will take over some of this note. I’m the sub author, so you can call me S.A. 
> 
> Well, it seems like Craig was quoting some steamy alien smut at the end there... wonder who put it there...
> 
> We initially came up with the idea for this plot while discussing H.R. Giger’s artworks. I don’t know what to say besides this one’s going to be deeply fucked up and a wild ride, considering the outline. I’m consistently surprised by the portion M.A. writes. The later chapters will carry trigger warnings and we implore you to proceed with caution and heed those tags! Anyways, hope you enjoy this piece of deep space erotica? Sci-fi Horror? As much as we do. We love hearing your suggestions and predictions for where this turns next.


	3. Rotten

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A small team of explorers descend on the newly terraformed planet LV-49, unprepared for the horrors that await them.  
> SP x Alien Universe Crossover.

"God," Kenny said, exasperated. "He’s really making this hard." 

Stan and Kenny had taken a rest break after collecting some samples of the soil, and water; containing life they had not discovered yet--small and beetle-like in nature--they had to be a sort of insect. 

Stan rolled his eyes. "Uh, yeah, Kyle isn't a walk in the park. Thought you knew that by now." He cleared his throat quickly after having realized what he had said. "Come on, man. This is like the risky shit we did back on Terra-3, but bigger. I need you on your A-game."

Kenny watched as he pulled out a small pouch. It contained a vital piece of their mission-- seeds. "Stan, this  _ is _ my A-game. High alert and cautious as fuck. I work best when I'm tense." 

"I wouldn't call the fight you had with Kyle cautious," Stan said. 

"That’s--! That's not what I meant."

When Stan saw that Kenny had quieted down, he continued. "Relay the plan to me." 

“We plant the seeds. Then we send Craig out every twelve--”

“Craig?” Stan said, his eyes wide. “Um, no, I said that we would rotate.”

“Why rotate?” Kenny said. “It makes more sense to have Craig do the rounds by himself. What would he…” Kenny mentally smacked himself, remembering the glitch in the android’s coding and the problem with leaving him unsupervised. It would be bad if he suddenly upped and walked away or something. Stan saw that something was troubling Kenny, but out of annoyance at his insubordination, he ignored it. 

“You know,” He said. “That’s what Craig is for, isn’t it? If something goes wrong or he gets damaged, you can just patch him up. No lives lost. It really does make more sense.”

“No, Stan, listen,” The gears in Kenny’s mind turned. If he told Stan about Kyle breaking protocol by tweaking the A.I.’s code, Kyle would be stripped of his research officer rank and punished, but if he didn’t, he could be putting them all in unforeseen danger. Was Kyle right? Was he really overthinking things?

“Is this about Craig? Is that why you guys fought?”

“What?”

“Dude, holy shit. Are you like, jealous of him or something? He’s a fucking robot--he doesn’t even have balls.”

In spite of his worries, Kenny couldn’t help but laugh a little at the conclusion Stan came to. “Fuck, Stan, no, I’m serious. I’m not fucking jealous, ok. That  _ thing _ feels nothing; not even basic emotions, but…” Kenny trailed off, trying to decide whether or not to say his next words.

“But what?”

“Stan,” Kenny said. “What I’m about to tell you...Kyle can’t know, or he’ll try to stop it.”

“Go on. I’m listening.”

“Kyle...he...he altered the A.I.’s coding without telling me. Now it’s acting on its own like it’s…”

“Arbitrary?”

“No, Stan,” Kenny continued. “I think the behavior, while divergent, is still following rules I initially set. You have to believe me when I say that it’s for the best that I reformat his programming before he malfunctions. It won’t take long; maybe a day or so while the original code is being re-uploaded.” 

Stan eyed him, and the blond silently prayed that he took his excuse. Craig wouldn’t be reformatted, he would be deactivated. As soon as he performed the task of planting the germination seeds; the crew would find their own way from there. 

“And I suppose you want me to keep this a secret.” 

“Please, Stan, they’ll hang him by his neck if this gets out. He’ll lose his credentials.”

“Sure,” Stan says, grabbing his communicator to talk into it. “The mechanic knows best. I’m just the captain leading the whole damn expedition.” He swiped the switch and activated the comms. “Kyle?”

“Stan? That you?”

Kenny grabbed the device from Stan’s suit, feeling relief at hearing the red-head’s voice. “Kyle! What--.”

“This is Craig.” 

Kenny grumbled. This stupid robot was the last thing he wanted to hear. “Put Kyle back on!” 

“He wishes for me to handle any information given, and does not want to speak to McCormick.” On their end, Craig had turned silently to look back at Kyle who had gone back to surveying the area; trying to mask his irritation. 

Kyle could vaguely hear Kenny’s voice in the background, arguing heatedly with Craig. He wrote it off as ambient noise as he tried to focus on calibrating the field equipment. Kenny could be such a handful, and was so, so very stubborn when he thought he knew best. Through his personal observations, there was nothing aberrant about Craig. 

"Craig?" He pointed towards the disassembled tools. "Will you help me pack up and head back to camp in about two hours? I'm going to get some rest." 

"No need, professor. I will stay and construct a temporary shelter for your research and guard the equipment until you return. You can head back whenever you are ready.

Kyle smiled. "Thank you."  _ See _ , Kyle thought to himself. Craig was helpful, unlike a certain belligerent blond mechanic. The android was polite, and always listened to what Kyle had to say. More and more lately, Kenny had been the exact opposite. When he was done surveying, he would walk back to base and give him a piece of his mind.

Needless to say, the hours of sleep Kyle had tried to get after heading back to base had been fitful and fleeting. Neither Kenny nor Stan had returned yet, and he decided it would be as perfect a time as ever to rest. But he couldn't. He was too stressed out. The sound of his alarm went off, and he groaned, rousing himself from bed. Deciding to go wash up in the bathroom, he put his coat on, being only in his boxers; not caring about the fact that he would be taking it off again later to jump back into his suit.

Anxious blue eyes stared back at him when he opened his door, and Kyle remembered the chat he was going to have with Kenny.

"Hi." Kyle said. 

“Kyle,” Kenny said, taking a breath. “Hey, um, look...we can’t keep running in circles like this.”

Kyle came out from the shadow of his room and into the light. He folded his arms, bracing for what was to come. “I’m not the one following you around like some sort of wounded dog.” 

“Because you haven’t been giving me a chance--!” Kenny realized his voice was rising--it would do no good for him to get upset--for Kyle to get any more upset than he already was. He sighed. “I’m sorry, alright. I know you what you did had good intentions, but the next time something like this comes up--tell me? Before you do anything?”

The red-head had closed his eyes, surprised--yet somehow glad--by this underwhelming conversation. Perhaps Kenny too, had run out of steam after arguing with Craig earlier. Kyle was tired. “You say that, but you still don’t agree with me.”

“Ky, I just want you to be safe. I want what’s best for you--”

“Goddammit,  _ Craig _ is the best thing that’s happened to me. Why can’t you see that, Kenny?”

Kenny stared at him. Some kind of realization had settled upon him.

Realizing what had slipped out of his mouth, Kyle continued. “I mean. We agreed to work on him together. Something we could both focus on,” Kyle laughed breathlessly, trying to stay calm. “I thought it would be good for us. But, now we argue over him.” The smile on his face faded. “I asked for one, simple thing from you, and you can’t bring yourself to do it.” 

Kenny sighed, “I’m only nice to those that deserve it. Craig doesn’t deserve it.”

Kyle shook his head. “You can’t seem to get that wrench out of your brain, can you? It’s rubbing me raw, Ken.” The scientist turned to head down the hall. He was already late getting back to Craig because he talked with Kenny. “Just give me some space. Please.”

Kenny ran a hand through his hair, as he watched Kyle head back to the dock. And all he could think was what it really meant. Kyle would rather be alone. With Craig.

* * *

Getting back to the point on the map where Craig was would be no problem, as Kyle had charted it out in the countless treks he made across the area.

He expected the visit to the encampment to be routine as always, but something out of the ordinary caught his attention. An unmistakable smell of sulfur--combined with something acidic--caused Kyle’s eyes to water. What the hell could be burning out here? Even as he got closer to the source, he still couldn’t identify what it could be. Then he saw it--a black mass unlike anything he had ever seen, surrounded by some brush. Most likely used as kindling. The smell was nauseating, as he saw the holes laden in the earth, and the acid that had caused it; dark and oozing in the remains of the organism. He realized with dismay that he couldn’t get any closer. A sinking feeling hit his gut, as he turned and made his way back to the research lab. He tried to be inconspicuous; saying a quick hello to Craig and that he had been able to get a little bit of rest, which was unfortunately untrue. 

Craig had a sample of something in his hand. Kyle tried hard not to think about what it was. “You are a little late getting back.”

“Um, yes, I was talking to Kenny, and--actually, I--found something.”

“Something?” A steady gaze was set into those gray eyes; like Craig was waiting for some kind of confirmation.

“Out by the brush over there.” Kyle pointed. “Did you burn something?” 

“Oh, that.” Craig said flatly, putting the sample in the dish down on the table. “It was already in that condition when I found it.” 

This didn’t add up. There was no way that Craig didn’t know something about the corpse, as it looked as though it had only been burned recently. When Craig was out of ear-shot, he wasted no time in grabbing the device from his suit; and he pressed the button on the communicator, speaking into it. “Kenny?” 

Please answer. Please.

“Ky?” Kenny’s voice cut through the static, and Kyle was glad for once that Kenny kept the habit of keeping his communicator close by whenever Kyle went out by himself. His voice was unsure at first, until he heard the trembling in Kyle’s tone. “Kyle, what’s wrong?”

“Ken,” Kyle breathed. “I--I found something.”

“Found what?”

“Fuck--I don’t--,” He couldn’t focus when he thought about it. “I don’t know what this is. Ken, I think you were right about Craig. And get this--he lied to me when I asked him about it. It looks dangerous. He’s doing something. I don’t know what it is, but I have a feeling it isn’t good.” The red-head cursed himself. “Ken, I’m sorry. I’m so sorry I doubted you.”

“Save the apologies for later. Ky, we have to turn him off. Just tell him we’re taking him in for early maintenance.” 

“What?” Kyle said, turning to make sure Craig wasn’t watching him. “Kenny, you can’t just--”

“Stan agreed as well. It has to be done.”

Kyle knew then that he had lost, if Ken had gotten Stan on his side, there was no way he would win this argument. He sighed.

“Alright.”

Kyle shut off the communicator. He shuddered as he recalled the grisly details of the charred alien corpse. It was obvious that Craig had incinerated the remains so that he wouldn’t be able to identify the original specimen. But the bone structure was telling. The animal would be around two meters in length, bipedal, and covered in a thick exoskeleton. If Craig deemed this creature a threat, and neutralized it, then why did he feel the need to lie and keep it a secret from him? Kenny was right, there was definitely more to his actions than meets the eye.

The redhead hesitated before digging through the lab equipment. If he could find the DNA sequencer, he might have a clue with what he is dealing with. Even though the remains were burnt and genetic strands likely damaged, there was still a chance that he could run some kind of extrapolative analysis on it. Kyle fumbled through the metal casing and swore. It wasn’t there, even though this is exactly where he had left it. 

“Professor.” 

Kyle nearly jumped out of his skin when the android spoke from directly behind him. To Craig, he probably looked like a deer in headlights.

“Are you okay? You seem tense.” 

Kyle moved to shake his head. “I’m--” His words were cut off by the feeling of something cold, metallic--the pinch of a needle near the base of his neck. Kyle yelped in pain, trying to turn away, but Craig caught him by the wrists, dragging him down to the floor effortlessly. The cold tile bit against the side of red-head’s face as the android held him down, and once he was done administering the drug, Kyle lay there underneath him like a limp rag doll. A light moan escaped his lips as his muscles became heavy and the light faded from his eyes. Craig saw the fear that dawned on his face. The scientist, while sedated, was so breakable and fragile. The android pressed his hand firmly against Kyle’s chest, and was surprised how much it gave under his strength. Craig couldn’t help but wonder if all humans were this way, or if it was just him. How they had survived for thousands of years was truly a mystery. In any case, he had used more than the required dosage of the sedative on Kyle as a precaution. He needed some time to take care of unfinished business and it wouldn’t do to have the red-head wake up before his return. Craig watched as Kyle slowly drifted into unconsciousness. His long dark lashes crested and fell, and his heartbeat went out time with his breaths. The android thought with a smile, how oddly mesmerizing this human was. He could get used to this. 

* * *

  
  


“Stan?” He called out towards the source of the crashing noise. The lights in the base were completely shut off. Uncharacteristic, seeing as the backup generator should have kicked in by now. It had been the sound of shattering glass that roused Kenny from his heavy sleep. “Shit.” Kenny cursed after checking his pockets and coming up empty. He left his communicator back on the workbench and there was no way of contacting the others. Feeling along the walls, he made his way towards the cryosleep chamber. If Stan was still inside the sleep pod, he likely didn’t hear anything. As he neared the room where he last saw Stan, Kenny couldn’t shake a growing feeling of unease. His fears were confirmed when he shined a beam on the disabled electrical panel; ripped straight from the wall. Kenny rushed over to fix it. Luckily, re-soldering the wires wasn’t hard; and within a few minutes, the lights flickered back on. 

The first thing he noticed was the room in a state of disarray. 

_ Fuck. What happened while he was out?  _ A trail of broken glass lead up to Stan’s tank. Kenny rushed over and was sickened by what he saw inside the broken tank. There was a screwdriver, lodged squarely in the dark-haired man’s throat. A trail of dark blood bubbled forth from the wound like a fountain. Stan’s eyes were closed, and the blond hopped at the very least, that he had died peacefully in cryosleep without suffering too much. 

“What a shame.” Craig’s cold, mechanical voice rang out, and Kenny stiffened. “Should have been you in that tank, McCormick.”

Kenny turned and saw the android in the entrance to the room; blood speckled on his clothing. His face, his tone, something about it was all different. He had changed. Or, had this side of him already been present; sneaking in like a cancer, when Kenny was unaware?

“Heard you were going to turn me off. “The robot smirked; his voice taking on a mocking tone. “But, I won’t be giving you that chance, now, Will I? No. I’m going to do to you what you were planning to do to me.” 

“You heard?” Kenny said.

“Of course. I wouldn’t let something so important slip past me. In fact, I already suspected this. You hate me. You hated me from the start--and let’s face it. You’re jealous--I’m stronger, faster and more intelligent than you. ” Craig walked closer to the blond; taunting him with every word.

“I’m not jealous of a fucking psychopath like you.” Kenny hissed in a low tone. “Where is Kyle and what did you do with him? “

“He is safe, under my care. You needn’t worry.” 

Craig wielded a sharp knife; a cruel grin splayed across his usually emotionless mask. “But you’re fair game.” 

Kenny backed away. He winced as he stepped on jagged shards of glass and Craig, seeing an opportunity to strike, lunged forward. His knife only grazed fabric as Kenny dodged; slipping through the door. The mechanic immediately punched in the emergency code to lock it from the outside. 

The immediateness of the android’s voice; calm, even in the face of the situation, was jarring. “It won’t hold me for long, McCormick. You’re just delaying the inevitable.” 

Kenny bit back his pain as he limped towards the workroom where he had left his emergency communicator. The situation was bad; beyond bad. Of all days to let his guard down, he had to pick it today. Kyle had just sent him a transmission that something was up; that the android was acting strange, and he hadn’t considered the gravity of the situation. Now, Stan was dead, Kyle’s status was unknown, and he was losing blood heavily. He grit his teeth; trying not to put any pressure on his left foot. The shards couldn’t be pulled out without risking more blood loss and there was no time to make a tourniquet. Even if he could send the signal for emergency rescue, he probably wouldn’t survive until then. Kenny blinked back tears. What he wouldn’t give to see Kyle smile at him one last time. He could only pray that the rescue ship would come in time to save Kyle. Struggling with each step, he made his way towards the workbench. But, realized with a heavy stomach that the android had beaten him to it. Craig dangled the device like a prize in front of him, bearing a cruel grin. 

“What did I tell you back there?” He said, “You can’t win.” 

With one hand, Kenny’s last hope was crushed to pieces. The broken parts of the communicator were strewn all over the ground; and when Kenny looked up, he saw a face of pure malice.

Craig stabbed down into Kenny’s chest; reveling in the scream he heard as he twisted the knife further. 

“Check mate.” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> M.A.: We've hit the calm before storm! Things certainly don't seem good for Kyle....(sorry to Stan, may he rest in peace.) The next chapter will finally get to what this whole dang fic is all about.


	4. Decay

In the depths of the storage room, Kyle was nestled in one of the equipment compartments; safe from being found by Kenny, had things gone sour. Now it was opened, and Craig smiled at the peaceful face that awaited him; it was like Kyle was sleeping. For the first time ever, things were as they should be. No noise. No distractions. No one to bother them. They were alone; and the freedom left Craig to work on his new project. It would be done soon, and he hoped his little bird would like his new cage.

  
  


His eyes opened first, gazing up at the ceiling. The first thing that Kyle felt--the searing pain in his lower body--caused him to whimper. It hurt--badly, and he fumbled under the sheets; trying to figure out why he was in pain. He noticed then that he was naked--that did not seem right. Wasn’t he outside with Craig earlier? Then he saw the light of the afternoon through the window. How much time had passed? How long had he been asleep? He moved his fingers, realizing his hands were bound too; more thoroughly. There was something there--a hot and searing pain near his midriff. A small sound of dismay escaped his lips as he realized what Craig had done something to him. He pulled his fingers away--alarmed, feeling the dried blood and stitches along his stomach. But there was no way, there was no way that Craig--how had he done this? Why? He remembered the words the android had told him. About wanting to populate this planet. Evolving humanity. And then he saw it--a large egg--just across the room.

“No!” Kyle yelled, trying to fight his binds as he got up and ran for the door. Pain ripped through him and he stumbled to the ground. The anesthesia that had kept him out during the surgery was wearing off. In the corner of the room, the egg was starting to hatch. 

Craig watched him--small and helpless on the camera, as the alien came out of its shell. It was faceless. It had no eyes, but it knew that Kyle was there as it searched the air. The creature was small, compared to the one that he had killed and burned. But that was insignificant. This was a test to see if the experimentation he had done would bear its fruit. Fingers crossed, he leaned forward in his chair. He would store every little detail into his mainframe.

Kyle was back on the table now; trying to shield himself with the thin blanket, and he screamed when the crawling alien shot that same black acid he had seen before. He threw the sheets, watching as it ate quickly through the fabric and even into the metal of the floor. He realized then, that he was completely helpless against it. 

The rancid breath of the creature as it crawled on his skin made him gag, and he would have pushed it away if it weren’t for his bound hands. The sound of harsh breaths stopped when Kyle looked down and saw the terror that awaited him as it opened its jaws.

A small feeding tube extended from its cavernous maw, lined with rows and rows of sharp teeth. 

“No,” Kyle said. “Stop. Stop.” The monster had latched onto his face, making it impossible to breathe. Kyle felt how big it was--It had twice the width of his outspread hand. It hesitated , before shifting down towards the place Craig had operated on. Nothing could have prepared Kyle for the pain he felt, as it drove its tube into his flesh. There was no grace in it. Only the savage abandon of an animal, and the red-head screamed. He felt for sure that the tube would split him in two as it cut through the stitches. The pain was unbearable, and Kyle, panicked as he was, did the only thing he thought sensible.

“Craig!,” He screamed. “Craig, you sick fuck, call this thing off right now!” It seemed futile, as Craig wasn’t even in the room. But then he looked up and saw the surveillance camera that his eyes had missed when he looked around earlier. “I know you can--agh--see me!” His teeth set in rage. The android was just watching from another room as the alien used him like a toy. Kyle jerked his head to the side as the thing swiped a twisting, forked tongue at him. He was damned if he was going to let it touch his face. But his body betrayed him, as his mouth opened wide to scream when he felt a sharp jab to his insides, and the creature took its chance; forcing Kyle to swallow its tongue in a mockery of a kiss. His head swam--there had to be something he could do, but his mind, spiked from the pain permitted him no further clarity. He was nearly choking, the alien driving its tongue into him harder the more he struggled. The noise that he heard, the wet squelching of his flesh was sickening. Every inch that Kyle saw on the alien's body was hard, foreign, yet Craig had given the creature what would have never developed with years of evolution, and Kyle's body spoke to the grotesque familiarity, coating the monster with his blood. With blackness creeping at the edge of his vision, Kyle was on the edge on consciousness, and he thought nothing could pull him back, until--

"Kyle."

Kyle's eyes widened. It was that voice that had now left a mark of uncertainty in the red-head's mind. There was no feeling, no emotion, yet the android had said his name. Not professor. His name. He struggled as the monster assaulted him, to look at Craig, as the android stood above him with an eerie smile. 

"Do you like the present I made for you?"

It was strange, as if the alien did not notice Craig at all as it ravaged Kyle. But of course, as Kenny had told him, the android wasn't alive. He bit hard on the alien's tongue, finally removing itself from his throat. Air rushed painfully into his lungs as he coughed and tried to breathe again.

When his eyes set on Craig, they were like fire. There were no words needed to show his absolute hatred and disgust. " _ Present? _ " He said, tossing his head against the pillow as the alien's mouth tried to assault him again. "You call  _ this _ a present?!"

Craig's smile returned to a thin line. Kyle was smart, but he saw that even now, he still did not understand what the android was doing for him. He had made a miscalculation.

But it didn't matter. This was a science, a  _ breakthrough _ , that he had to see completed. He had observed Kyle's behavior many times. He would settle into his role soon enough. 

"You don't see it now," Craig said. "But you will. I’ve modified your body so that the alien recognizes you as its queen. Shame you’re not biologically capable of carrying offspring, because this could have been a lot less painful.” The scientist let out a sharp hiss. Craig marvelled how Kyle seemed to wither slowly under the force of the alien. He was getting tired; his movements were more sporadic. Yet he still gritted his teeth in defiance of what was being done to him. A strangled cry escaped his throat when the alien stabbed harder into his innards, piercing clean through. He was glad at the burst of fluid when the creature finally unleashed inside him. It meant it was over; finally. Craig still stood silently watching. What more was there to see? 

Kyle’s whole body was suddenly jerked up as the alien pulled its tube out of him. His body nearly bent double, he hardly saw what the alien was doing. But he heard it, oh he heard the sound, like some sort of gag reflex. He winced when the alien pulled his open wound apart further; the inner mouth of the alien tongue hovering over it. And then. 

It started to vomit. 

The burning pain that hit when the fluid flooded his stomach walls was unbearable. Was he crazy? Kyle thought he felt something of substance was deposited inside him, but there was no way to tell. Sweat beaded his neck, and around the curve of his back and stomach. His whole body was straining from the alien's weight. Then, with the burn having subsided to a dull ache, the alien began to stir its tongue inside. He watched. Saw from the edge of his vision, the alien's fluids, mixed with blood seep out of him. Kyle shuddered. The alien pushed deeper, and more gushed out, running down the front of his stomach. But Kyle didn't feel empty, and he almost sighed at the relief he suddenly felt. The alien's tongue was soothing somehow. It was an insane thought that this feeling was comforting. It was applying some anesthetic agent, that was dulling the pain.

"Fuck," Kyle cried as he snapped to hise senses. "No, no!" 

The metal frame thrashed and shook, and Kyle once again felt something knock around inside of him--small and soft. The alien pulled out roughly, and Kyle's face went pale. There was no way for him to get up now. With the alien hovering over him, Kyle shuddered as its rancid breath hit his face. 

There was something about Craig's manner that was unsettling; the way he went absolutely still, checking the room closely. 

The alien sunk down on his stomach, covering the wound. But something wasn't right. Kyle knew as the alien pressed up against him that there was more to it. 

"It looks like the experiment was a success. Of course, I made some alterations to your body to ensure it would. "

In a fit of anger, Kyle bashed the alien's skull--a bad choice. The alien responded by grabbing his neck with its tail; seemingly bent on hurting him now. "You  _ what _ ?" He said weakly.

"To increase efficiency. I deemed the original anatomy of the human body quite poor in facilitating the birth of this alien species."

_ Birth?  _

Kyle couldn't speak anymore.

He realized that today was only the first time.

That it wouldn’t be the last.

He really panicked then. “Craig,” He said, voice fast and wavering. “I think I know what you’re trying to do but this isn’t the way. The corporation won’t care about--”

“Corporation?” Craig said, continue to watch the alien do his work. “There is no hope for everyone on Terra-3. To give them all this keystone to evolution, would take an insurmountable amount of time. I chose you to give this gift to, Kyle.”

Kyle shut his eyes. Tried to turn away. But it was no use, he still heard him, the android’s voice cold. And cutting clear through the dissociation, Craig laid out the future before him as he continued to struggle in vain.

“We will repeat this process each day. With my calculations, you should be ready to breed every seventy-two hours.”

Craig moved towards the alien, glancing at Kyle out of the corner of his eye. What he did next sent a chill down Kyle’s spine. Craig reached out his hand to the top of the alien’s head. And pet it.

  
  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> S.A.: Sorry about the long wait, M.A. and I had a lot to edit on this one but it's finally up! This is the chapter that earns the fic the E rating imo. Hope you guys enjoy.


	5. Sleeping

His eyes started to adjust to his dimly lit surroundings. The thick glass casing above his face fogged up as the scientist took slow, labored breaths. Where had Craig taken him to? And what would happen to him now? Those were all mysteries that he did not deign to find out. His lower half was surrounded by a sea of medigel, allowing for his cuts and bruises to begin to heal. He could feel the sting and itch of the reconstruction process as new skin grew over to cover the damage. 

Craig has taken him to some kind of modified medical bay. There was a reinforced glass that encased his body, like in the pods they used for cryosleep, but this one was tilted vertically, at a near seventy degree angle. 

“Shit.” Kyle let out a low hiss as he tried to twist around in the pod, but to no avail. Something was blocking his way. Sticking his hand into the murky depth of the gel, he gasped in horror when it came into contact with his own skin. The abnormal shape blocking him from moving was his own stomach. The skin there felt sensitive and taunt to the touch. He hadn’t noticed it at first because of the numbing effects of the medigel. But it was there, and it was real and indelible proof of what transpired. Kyle gently pushed down, and whimpered as it sent a shock of pain through his body. Inside his belly, there was something extremely hard, almost like a rock, and when he touched it, it moved. It was living and pulsating, reacting to the outside stimuli. He moved his hand along his stretched stomach, feeling along the ridges and grooves of its solid outer shell. Even in the coolness of the medigel, it burned.

 _What the fuck?_ It was biologically impossible for a male of his species to be impregnated but when he really thought about it, he wasn’t sure what was possible anymore. The alien creature that had jumped him and tore through his body had obviously left something behind. It was a parasite and this was likely its egg. 

He shuddered to think about what would happen to him when it was born. Would it eat its way out of him like the parasitoid wasp larvae that burst through its host? He recalled documentaries he watched as a child when he snuck into the archives late at night and perused the sections on the biology of earth. The creature’s reproductive method was as fascinating as it was macabre, and its hosts never survived the ordeal. The wasp’s discovery alone was enough to make scientists of old question the existence of a God- if a benevolent, all-knowing being could design something so vile and cruel to design this creature. Right now, Kyle felt certain that there was no God watching over him, but something akin to pure evil was very close by. A flash of black hair and cold, golden eyes, came to mind. 

Kyle choked back tears and clenched his teeth; thinking of his crewmates. Fuck, Stan and Kenny were the brave ones. He was not brave enough to survive out here alone. But, there was still a quick way out of it, he could drown in the tank of medigel- if he held his head down long enough. The thought of dying now rather than witnessing the birth of such a monster was a much more comforting thought. The young scientist was about to make a choice when the hatch of the medical bay opened and the android slipped inside. 

“CORTANA, run a full DNA scan on officer Broflovski and monitor vitals.” Craig barked an order to the computer mainframe. 

“Foreign DNA contamination detected inside subject’s abdominal cavity. Recommending immediate surgery and removal.” 

“Denied.” Craig walked towards the center of the room, so that he was facing the young scientist. Kyle screamed obscenities and banged his fists against the tempered glass that held him. Even in his fragile state, it wouldn't be like Kyle to not struggle. A wounded animal that lashed out at anything that sought it harm. 

“Restrain officer Broflovski so that he doesn’t hurt himself. “ The android calmly ordered. 

“Craig!” Kyle shouted as his arms were pinned down by metal restraints, “Let me out of here now, you sick fuck!” He thrashed around in the gel and tried to kick using his legs, but the locking mechanism enclosed around his ankles, holding him down. 

The android placed a palm against the glass and stared at the redhead. The inscrutable smile sent shivers down Kyle’s spine. “CORTANA, make system preparations to initiate project alpha.” 

“Warning: subject may incur fatal damage. Recommendation: increase convalescence time.” 

“Recommendation overruled. Increase oxygen levels and administer sedatives as needed.” 

The position of the Pod began to shift as it lowered to the ground, and Kyle never ended his barrage of expletives aimed at Craig. He flinched as a sudden spike of pain flared up his back. Fuck, he was seeing white. The egg was about to hatch, and the brunt of its weight pressed down on his spine after the pod shifted positions. A pained sob escaped his throat as he cried out for Kenny. As if Kenny could still save him now.

Craig laughed mirthlessly. “Kenny’s dead, there’s no use in crying out for him. I personally saw to his end.” 

“Don’t worry, I will keep you alive. You're much too important to me."

Important? Probably as much as a cat taking care of wounded prey, which frankly, he was. 

“Fuck you, Craig.” Green eyes met gold, though Kyle was still shaking from the pain. “Even if Kenny’s dead, which I doubt, because he would never lose to the likes of you, I would still rather be with him than a dickless coward like you.” 

Craig’s face formed a mask of cold anger before he finally found his composure. The Android dropped a round lapel pin covered in dried blood onto the surface of the glass, which Kyle recognized immediately as Kenny’s. It had his initials etched into the surface of the gold, along with a long serial number running along its rim. 

“Believe what you want.” Craig turned and exited the room. 

Kyle let out a screech of pain as soon as the android had left. He didn’t want to show his weakness in front of the android. Craig reveled in his misery. He knew the android spoke the truth and that there was little hope that either of crewmates were alive, but he wanted to hope. He unleashed the flood of tears he previously held back. 

A debilitating pain stabbed his lower back and brought Kyle back to reality.

“CORTANA, release restraints!” He cried out hoarsely. 

“Access denied. User privileges for officer Broflovski has been limited.” What was he going to do now? 

“User ID Stan Marsh - access administrative mainframe.” The redhead refused to give up. The egg would hatch at any second and he was unlikely to survive when it does. 

“Access denied. Officer deceased.” The A.I. replied. 

“User ID Kenny McCormick - access administrative mainframe.” 

“No such record exists. Please try again.” 

The redhead grit his teeth in increasing frustration as hot tears mixed with sweat rolled down his face. “Kenneth McCormick!” 

“No such record exists. Please try again.” 

Kyle tried to gather himself. _Think, Think._ There has to be something else he can do.

“CORTANA, initiate system override- superuser access.”

“Please state superuser ID.” 

Kyle laughed drily. Shit, he didn’t know it, and he wasn’t even sure if Stan had it, not that he would be sharing it anyway. 

He stared up through the glass at the lapel pin, the last remnant of Kenny he had, and traced over the engraved letters again. The line of serial code stuck out to him. It was worth a try because he had nothing left. 

Gathering a shaky breath, Kyle found his voice. “K3N-1CL0-13” 

“ID Access approved. Please state your password.” 

He was in! But what could the password be… Kyle wracked his brain and went through many combinations but to no avail. _Gotta think like Kenny… what did Kenny like?_

“Safeword.” The memory of long ago - of the laid back blond lying in bed next to him surfaced in his mind, casually stealing his sheets and wearing a self-satisfied smile. 

“Access granted.” Kyle choked back grateful tears when it worked. It was something only an innocuous perv like Kenny could think of. _Thank you._ Kyle whispered under his breath. The blond had just saved his ass yet again.

“CORTANA , terminate all prior processes and begin emergency surgery and removal of foreign matter from my body. Revoke access to all non-superusers. Lockdown the site and restrict all access points.” This should buy him some time, hopefully enough to heal and take on Craig. 

“Scour the perimeter and perform a full motion scan of the base. Permission to expunge all non-human objects. Is that clear?” 

“Yes. Process initiated.” Kyle closed his eyes and fell into a deep, dreamless sleep as the numbing effects of the sedative hit him. 

* * *

Light trickled down into indiscriminate darkness, hitting the bottom of the ravine. Light. It was the first thing Kenny thought, before anything else, when his eyes--his sight--had finally returned. He instinctively patted down his chest, and saw that the only evidence of past trauma was dried blood caked through the hole in his shirt. That was right. He had been stabbed by Craig. Thrown down into the ravine, and left to die. In all honesty, he really would have been dead, had it not been for the nanobots swimming through his blood that went to work soon after he blacked out. The blond wasn’t sure how long it had taken. Days? Perhaps even a week, and he suddenly thought how any sort of creature could have come over and eaten what was essentially a corpse, while he was out. But none of that mattered. There was nothing that was more dangerous than that calculated mind. Picking himself up from the ground, he saw the scale of the ravine was not as large as he had initially gathered--light peaked through the top, and he’d be able to climb his way out. He was glad--because now he had his chance.

_You think you’ve got me, fucker, but I’m coming for you._

He was going to destroy Craig, pry that motherfucker apart. Find Kyle.

And they were going to get the hell out of there.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> S.A. : I take full responsibility for this chapter not being up sooner because I’m the one holding it up. Yeep, it’s all on me. M.A was working very diligently to get the last chapter out but I’ve been so busy (with work and school and putting things off because I’m a procrastinator haha). This fic is our first collaborative work together and I find myself thinking about finishing my writing more than I actually do work on my writing, but I promise you guys, this will be a finished work. Next chapter is the last update for this story, but there will be a nice epilogue to wrap things up. We always welcome any speculation and comments you guys have for us. Looking forward to the conclusion!


	6. Dreaming

If Kenny thought narrowly escaping death had prepared him for anything he was about to face when he pulled his master command key and entered the ship--he had been sorely mistaken. He took a step forward into what was blinding darkness compared to the daylight he had walked through to get back. But he could see, in the dim light something horrid. It could have been the ship in further disrepair. Kyle lying dead on the floor. No, it was something worse. Far worse. For when he continued on, his boots clinking in the still air, he saw what were dozens upon dozens of strange, oval shaped biomass sitting across the deck. He weaved through them in utter disbelief. Something told him that Kyle had already been through some kind of hell. Craig had turned the ship upside down in a matter of days. 

He worked to steady his breath. He couldn’t assume the worst. Not Kyle. Not yet. 

He dared to call out into the pitch black void.

“Kyle?”

As if the scientist would answer him back.

It was madness to think that he would, hell in the way everything was right now. 

If he was going to have any hope of finding Kyle, he first had to assess the entirety of the ship. That android was bound to be around here somewhere. He reached the user command panel in the north-west right wing.

“CORTANA,” He said, his fingers moving deftly over the keys, as he confirmed his identity to the A.I. “Give me a full assessment of the ship. I need to know what happened while I was out.” The computer whirred as an administration log began displaying data. His eyes stopped when he saw that there had been a system override from a few days ago. Had that been Kyle? And then…

The screen went blank.

“Commencing termination of data. All further logs have been corrupted due to separation of administrative functions. Termination in progress.”

“Termination?” Kenny said. “No!” He knew in his mind as he worked to stop the command that it had to be Craig. He knew he was here, and now he was trying to keep him from getting to him, and to Kyle. He decided he might as well go and face what was to come, if Craig hadn’t locked him within this part of the ship already. There was no point in staying with the systems now offline. 

He travelled further down the corridor, his eyes skimming across more of the strange tangles of flesh like black veins that had surrounded the egg-shaped objects. It was as if the ship was slowly becoming more and more organic. Like a living, breathing…

Nest.

That’s what this seemed like. A nest. Kenny fought against the urge to vomit. The air was also stale inside the ship, and as he reached the elevator on the other side, he noticed it was getting harder to breathe. He needed to get to the command room and get systems online across the ship again. His body braced, the elevator finally slowed to his exit. When he entered the room however, it was completely empty. He thought of where else Kyle would be. Where HE would be. 

* * *

Craig watched the mechanic on the monitor silently. He had been observing his every move in the security room. Knew where he was headed. Golden eyes moved to the screen adjacent--to the room that was once the sickbay--where Kyle lay sleeping. 

_Two Weeks Earlier_

Craig watched from behind the crystal screen as the robotic arm operated on the sleeping scientist. The human almost won; overriding the computer system and issuing lockdown orders on the ship. If he didn’t think one step ahead and released a virus that disabled the ship’s core defense system before the ship’s defense system activated, he would be at its mercy right about now. Playing with Kyle was risky, he mused. Whenever he left the room, he was taking a gamble that the scientist would not make a move to ruin his plans, but he knows better now. Craig would stay by his side and watch over him to make sure his precious pet behaved, with no more opportunities to play tricks up his sleeve. 

When the surgery concluded and the egg was removed, Craig entered the sterilized medical bay. He touched the small scar near Kyle’s navel where the incision was made and the stretch marks that marred the otherwise smooth skin of his flat stomach. Craig was entranced. Such a poor, helpless creature lay before him, but there was a feeling that overwhelmed him as he watched the slow rise and fall of the redhead’s chest. Kyle belonged to him. Craig pressed his cold, mechanical lips to Kyle’s, mimicking what he had seen done before. He couldn’t feel anything in this body just yet, but he had a plan to feel something soon. Kyle just needed to incubate some more… until he produced the perfect specimen...

* * *

  
  
  


“Fuck…” Kenny finally fought his way through the chaos of entangled wires before arriving at the east end of the station. It was a mess over here too, and there were more of these weird black masses spread all over the floors and ceilings. He didn’t want to get too close to them, even with nanobots coursing through his veins. He was lucky to be a clone and that the nanobots repaired the damage he sustained in the fight with Craig. But, he wouldn’t bet on coming back a second time. He checked every room searching for signs of Kyle. In the third room he entered, a tall pod-like structure erupting out of sprawling black tendrils like a lotus rising in mud, clear and unblemished. Through the opaque glass screen, he could see a hint of red hair. He made his way towards it in a panic. Kenny tore the covers off the pod and breathed a sigh of relief when he confirmed what was inside. He found Kyle asleep, covered by a thin lab coat. With trembling hands, Kenny lifted Kyle’s prone figure, hugging him close to his chest as he muttered his gratitude. 

Green eyes flickered open lazily, before widening in recognition.

“K..Ken?”

“Hey, yeah, it’s me,” Kenny said breathlessly. “Shit, you’re in bad shape.” 

Kenny took the red-head out of the pod, grimacing at the grime inside that was a mixture of blood, bile and jet-black ooze. And that android had Kyle sitting in it. Sick fuck.

“Ken,” Kyle said as his feet landed on the cold metal of the floor. “We have to get out of here. Craig--I think he’s planning something. He--he made me--”

“Made you what?”

Kyle tensed, as he slowly revealed the long, raised scar along his stomach behind his coat. Ken grit his teeth as he surveyed the damage. And all of that was only external. Kenny could only wonder what was going on inside. If his assessment was correct, Kyle needed medical help. 

“That fucking bastard,” He said. “I’m gonna kill him.”

“No, you’re not,” Kyle said, grabbing Ken’s arm. “We’re getting the _fuck_ out of here. Before the rest of the eggs in the nursery hatch and _he_ comes back. ” 

Kyle had a bad feeling. Craig had left him unattended for much too long; nearly a day since his last incubation. He didn’t want to wait to see if his intuition was right. They had to get out of there. And _fast ._

“The escape pods are to the right of the east wing. It’s a bit far, but I made sure when I initiated the lockdown command in this part of the ship that power still circulated to the hangar.” 

The pair headed off for the hangar, hoping they would get there in one piece. They didn’t dare look past the doors adjacent; the transparent windows showing the evidence of Craig’s creations; some looking newly born, others showing the final signs of life as they scratched weakly on the doors at the sounds of their footsteps. Their shrieks were so loud, Kenny almost didn’t hear when the red-head talked to him; pulling him in the direction of the hangar. Through the air tight doors there was silence again, and reasoning was coming back. Yes, yes, they were going to get out of here. Craig could rot on this ship with his alien brood. With Kenny watching the door, Ky began working away, opening and checking the pod in front of him. When he suddenly gasped, the blond was on full alert, turning to look at Kyle.

“What’s going on?”

“Shit..shit…” Kyle said, as he went to check another pod. “It looks like something messed with the pods, ugh.” The blond walked over to take a closer look. 

What they saw was the exposed metal insides of the hull, damaged and corroded from acid.

“We can still get them to work, right?” Kenny placed a hand on the tense muscles of Kyle’s back.

“Working on it. The systems are still online and I could probably salvage something.”

Kyle continued checking the control systems of the pods, until he found one to still be in working order. He nodded, turning back to the blond. “Alright Ken, I’ve got one online so far, I’m going to rig it so that the reactors nuke this place ten minutes after we launch. That should buy us enough time to get away.”

Kenny nodded in agreement. They would blow up this godforsaken place as soon as they put enough distance between themselves and Craig.

Kyle was in bad shape, with dark rings under his eyes, arms covered with scratches and flakes of dried blood. But, the scientist, swaying on his feet wasn’t slowing down as he coded the launch commands into the computer terminal. 

“It’s ready.” The redhead smiled in triumph as he backed away from the screen. “We should--” 

There was a low growl that hung in the air. The two both stood still. If it was an alien, they would be safe, as the hangar required a passcode for entry. Kenny and Kyle watched the door in horror as the sounds of the keypad were heard. What kind of alien could punch numbers? Then, before they could blink, the door opened, and inside stepped an alien of massive size.

It wasn’t like the other aliens that Kyle had seen before. Kyle realized that the creature had features laden on its face. They were compound eyes. Kyle felt sick. Because he knew instantly who they belonged to. Piercing golden eyes returned his gaze. 

“Oh my god,” He breathed in sharply, “Ken! Get away from him!” But he called out too late. The alien slammed into the blond, knocking him to the floor. His head rang, filled with words as the alien spoke directly into his mind. Kenny realized, too, that this alien was special. He heard its voice, blunt and dripping with distaste.

_Still alive, are you? I should have cut you up when I threw you into that ravine._

Kenny sputtered, dragging himself back onto his feet as he wiped off the blood from his lip. 

“Nice to see you too, you nasty piece of shit.” 

Kyle watched wide-eyed as Kenny stepped closer to him. He wasn’t seriously considering fighting Craig, was he? Craig wasn’t an android anymore, and if the aliens he met were any indication, the mechanic was severely outmatched. It would be suicide to take him on. Kenny either had a plan or a death wish, because he suddenly lunged at the alien that was four times his size. The act was as automatic as breathing. Kyle shoved himself in front of Kenny, before Craig and shut his eyes. 

It was as if time slowed down as Kenny watched in horror. 

He had expected Craig to claw right through the red-head, not caring that he was in the way. But when Kyle wrapped his arms firmly around the alien, any movement was gone. Craig was frozen in Kyle’s embrace, his gaze drifting down to the scientist in front of him. His hands twitched, and the red-head saw for the first time ever, that Craig was hesitating.

  
  


“Don’t.” Kyle said, his voice harsh. “Don’t do this.” He didn’t dare let go. Not until he was sure Craig wouldn’t try anything. He slowly moved away from Craig, returning to Kenny’s side. He kept his hand in front of Kenny, indicating that he wasn’t finished.

“Now, here’s the deal”, he started. “This place is going to be blown to hell, and if you want _me_ to live, Kenny has to live too.” Kyle was determined. This was his last attempt. He wasn’t going to let Craig get the better of him any longer. 

Somehow, that had gotten Craig to cooperate. He first had to get another one of the pods online, then Kenny’s and hoped that Craig wouldn’t see through his lie. Kenny stayed behind him, not taking an eye off of Craig as Kyle worked. Kyle may have some sort of lingering trust for Craig, but Kenny had none. 

“Kyle,” Kenny said. “Hurry it up a little?”

An exasperated breath escaped Kyle’s lips. “Jesus, Kenny, I’m trying my--” Kyle’s eyes widened as he turned around to look at the blond. He saw the rows of jagged teeth circling around the flesh of his shoulder. He let out a scream.

“KENNY!!” 

There was the crunch of bone as Craig tore away through Kenny’s jumper, his skin, everything. Kenny yelled in pain, stumbling forward as he tried to stop the blood; his fingers closing over a wound that was larger than his hand. He was losing too much blood. Even if he were to make it out in one of the pods, the medical supplies on board were adequate at best. He would bleed out before they reached the nearest colony, but Kyle was yelling at him, telling him to move so he could get another pod working. That Craig wouldn't touch Kenny so long as he stayed beside him. Kyle’s confused face when he was pushed into the pod was almost too much to bear; as if he still held onto hope for the mechanic. No, nothing meant more to Kenny than Kyle’s safety. Even if it meant…

“Kenny?!”

Kyle looked at him with desperation. He knew those eyes.

“What are you doing?! I said--”

“Kyle, Kyle, stop, it’s ok, alright?” The blond coughed up blood. Whatever was in the bite was already taking hold of his body. This was going to be his end, and he was doubtful the nanobots could get him through this. 

Before Kenny’s body expired, he was going to do one thing. Shaking fingers reached for the launch screen. 

**_At this point in the story, you may select your own ending… If you wish for Kenny’s ending, please turn to Chapter 7: Daydream. If you yearn for Craig’s happiness, please turn to Chapter 8: Mirage._ **

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> In this chapter, you are at a cross roads. M.A. and I both have our own visions for the possible endings for this story and we both enjoy vastly different interpretations. Like the ending says, you can choose the ending you prefer, the one with Kenny in chapter 7 or with Craig in chapter 8 or try both and see which ones suits your fancy. You guys are free to pick your own ending. This story was a crazy ride from start to finish and we're very happy to be able to post it as our first completed work on ao3. 
> 
> M.A. and I are sure there are some continuity errors in this fic, haha. We've both been working on and off on this project and we're glad to see it finished even with all its flaws. In any case, we'd love to hear your feedback on which conclusion you prefer (whether Kenny's ending or Craig's ending) or which one seems more natural to you. One of them is the true end - the idea we conceived at the start of this project, but one of them is an alternate reality - one that was thought up at the very end that we both greenlit. Thank you so much for sticking with us, and we hope you like the conclusion(s)!


	7. Daydream

He was starting up the pod. Kyle saw the countdown in the peripheral of his vision. They felt like a death sentence now. 

“Kenny,” Kyle choked, “Kenny no, you’re supposed to come with me, dammit!” He couldn’t release the locks that enclosed around him. They wouldn’t release until the ship was opened once again. He felt despair taking hold of him, and he cried out, “If you don’t come with me, what the hell was this all for?!” He felt the sharp jab behind his neck; the release of the sleeping agent that started his slow descent into the darkness of cryosleep. Kyle struggled to keep his eyes open. He wasn’t ready to make the long journey ahead, knowing what he wouldn’t find when he awoke. Through blurry eyes, he saw the smile on Kenny’s face. 

“You’ll know when you get there.”

But Kyle didn’t know where he was going; felt utterly lost, and he opened his mouth to try to speak again. 

“Ken....” 

Tears ran down the red-head face, as he felt bloody lips on his own. The moment was gone too soon, and Kenny pulled away. The words he heard next were a knife to his heart.

“I love you.”

The mechanic finally pulled away from the pod, as the lid of the machine closed shut. In those few seconds of silence, Kyle heard nothing but the sound of his slow breathing. His eyes closed. And then he fell asleep.

* * *

  
  
  


_Space colony: Terra-4_

The artificial sun shone through a hospital window. Had shone through that same window for the last 64 days, and today was the last day Kyle Broflovski would have to look through it. It felt like forever ago that he had emerged from the pod. The researchers that had found him in their exploration ship had taken him back to a planet that he was told was called Terra-4. Kyle hadn’t aged at all in cryosleep, yet two-hundred years had flown by. He thanked the nurse at the counter for all the help of the staff. Thanks to current advances in medicine, the scars and alterations to his body were slowly being reversed. He thought about Kenny. His last words to him. Many things on the new planet came as a surprise to him. Many aspects of technology that he thought had become obsolete due to advancements were still in use, albeit for different purposes. Clones were one such case, as they were now reserved for caretaking and service instead of exploration due to the decreasing birth rate and aging of the population. It was a surprise to him, when a knock came at his door. He opened it, and his jaw flew open. He shouldn’t have been surprised, but he was.

Blue eyes skimmed down to the coordinates displayed on his wristwatch, then back to green.

“Hey! Um...this is Kyle Broflovski’s house?” The blond smiled awkwardly, then straightened when he studied Kyle’s face more clearly. Kyle had a feeling that he was sent here on short notice.

“Kenny,” Kyle breathed, “How--when--”

“Since two hundred years ago?? I’m a pretty handy model, so they kept this old hunk of junk around. They wanted me to wait and tell you after your release, so, starting today, I’m your personal caretaker.”

Kyle wrapped his arms around Kenny in a warm embrace. “You’re not junk, Kenny. You’ve...you...do you remember me?” His uncertainty was quashed when Kenny returned the hug.

“Of course I remember you, baby.” Kyle uttered a sigh when Kenny ran his fingers through his hair and rubbed his cheek. “I’d never forget a face like yours….without my past memories that is. They uploaded them into my brain.” He made a gesture of a gun with his fingers and put it against his temple. “Zap! Like that.” The red-head laughed. Some things were still the same hundreds of years later, Kenny was still the master of bad jokes that don’t quite land. 

“Don’t do that, Kenny, that’s not funny!” 

“And yet you laugh!” Then the blond was laughing too, their lips touched, and it was like they were back in their old rhythm. 

Kyle gasped when Kenny touched his midriff. 

“So about my memories. That.” His gaze went down. “Pretty awful shit.” 

“Not as awful now with you here.”

And it was true, Kyle knew that he’d be able to move forward again.

“So,” he began, “I’ve kind of become a bit of a legend on this planet now. With my work and discoveries. Apparently there is more evidence since then to support my claims.”

Kenny smiled. “Figured it out, did you?”

Kyle blinked. He didn’t dare entertain the feeling he felt just now. Instead, he grabbed Kenny’s hand. “Hey Ken,” He said. “I’d like to go visit Stan’s memorial today. It’ll be the first time since I left the hospital and all.”

The blond nodded, squeezing Kyle’s hand.

“Lead the way.” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> S.A.: This is Kenny's (or more accurately to say), the K2 ending. Craig's ending is in chapter 8. We hope you guys enjoy our conclusions(s). If you let us know your thoughts, we will contribute it towards our next project.


	8. Mirage

Kenny looked down and saw where the alien’s tail protruded grotesquely out of his chest, exposing the white bone of his ribs. Craig had speared clean through him, before he could reach the launch buttons. 

He had failed miserably. Kenny coughed up blood, gurgling for air. He could see the air bubbles in the expelled blood, noting that Craig had punctured his lungs. 

He heard Kyle faintly calling for him in the distance. And in the next moment, Kenny’s body was tossed like a discarded toy to the side. And, now that he was rid of the pest that snuck on board, Craig fixated on his new target. 

With the giant alien towering over him, Kyle shuddered as he was taken slowly out of the pod by his arm. Craig seemed almost docile now, any hint of malice gone, but the scientist was frightened, and his eyes skimmed over Kenny’s still body on the floor. What he saw sent him reeling.

Kenny? Dead? Kenny? His eyes were glassy. He wasn’t breathing anymore.

He couldn’t believe it. Didn’t want to face what was happening before him. 

Kyle’s body lost all its strength, and then, he fainted.

* * *

When Kyle awoke, he didn’t realize where he was at first. He had turned and saw the android standing beside him. He saw that he was in a bed, in the medical bay. The scientist didn’t remember anything from after they disembarked the Voyager. His memories were fractured and he could only remember the bits and pieces, never the whole picture. 

Craig had to explain everything to the scientist now stricken with amnesia. This development he had not planned for, but it was fine. Because this way, they could start over. To heal Kyle’s broken mind, he sealed away the traumatic and painful memories. Craig also did some work to repair the damage done to Kyle’s body. With some gene therapy, he erased all the scars, both mentally and physically. After all that, they could start over with a clean slate. He told Kyle how aliens had attacked the station, and that Stan and Kenny were now dead. Kyle clung to him and cried. He cried for Stan. Cried for Kenny. And something else he didn’t know. 

It hadn’t taken much work to camouflage himself in this new body with a hologram in the time that Kyle was asleep, recuperating, and now to the newly awakened scientist, Craig looked nothing more than his android self. He would take care of him now, and the only blood that would be shed now would be for Kyle’s protection. 

With this new body, Craig could finally explore the possibility he had always thought about since that day in Kyle’s room. He knew what would be best for Kyle. Would be best for them. But he needed to wait. To be sure that he had Kyle’s trust. Indeed over the first few days that Kyle slowly regained his strength, he seemed to gravitate around Craig more than he ever had, and something would swell inside him from time to time. 

He had told Kyle that the control systems of the ship were down--a partial truth--and that he had sent out a distress signal for help--a lie, but Kyle believed it all the same. When Kyle shed off his memories and awoken, he was like a newly hatched chick, imprinting on Craig. And Craig was really surprised that the highly inquisitive scientist did not dig deeper or ask more questions beyond what was presented to him. Craig told him that his voice box was damaged in a struggle with the aliens, so he’s using a neural link to communicate with Kyle. The scientist didn’t confirm that what Craig told him was true and accepted it all as fact, and perhaps, he didn’t really want to know. 

Deep during the night, Kyle whimpered and thrashed about in his sleep, as if fighting something terrible. Craig rushed over and held him during those times until he lay still in his arms. Whispering into his mind, he uttered “It’s okay, don’t be scared. I am here.” 

The android was surprised when Kyle kissed him one day. Then they went to his room, his bed. The bed he had been in with Kenny countless times. But now it was different. Now it was theirs, and theirs alone. When Kyle touched the smooth surface of Craig’s chest, he felt a rush of emotions that he never felt before. The redhead slowly leaned against him, until he was pressing his cheek against his cool, bare skin. Craig looked a bit startled by his actions, but the android did not move to shake him off. 

“I’m so, so glad, you’re here with me.” Kyle trembled, his delicate frame shaking against the larger android. “If I didn’t have you, I’d have gone crazy long ago.” He moved Craig’s hand towards his lithe waist and the android let him take the lead. With a moan, the android attacked his neck with a multitude of kisses. He pressed the scientist’s back against the wall. They were kissing again, this time with renewed vigor. To Kyle’s surprise, he felt something thick and imposing stroking his thigh. With a puzzled glance, he looked towards Craig, who replied with a grin, “I did some maintenance down there. Something I hope you’re satisfied with.” Kyle closed his eyes, trying to stop himself from turning red as he realized the implications behind android’s words. His breath hitched in his throat as he felt the android lifting him up by the waist. The redhead responded with a nervous fervor, wrapping his legs around the latter’s toned back. 

Low exchanges of love whispered between them. Kyle felt a sharp pain when the thick shaft penetrated his body. Craig supported his weight, as he pumped in and out of the scientist’s small body. Kyle looked at the android through misty eyes. It felt good, so why was he crying? In this moment, he felt he belonged with Craig, but there was always something else nagging at the back of his mind, something he couldn’t place. His brain was muddled, ever since he awoke in the hospital wing. He felt like a shattered teacup, as if someone had dashed it to the floor and haphazardly put the pieces back together, expecting it to still work. His memories, his experiences, were all slipping through the cracks and crevices along with his sense of self. Without Craig guiding him and holding him together, he surely would have broken. A deep thrust brought him to reality, and he moaned, raking his hands against Craig’s synthetic skin. He was desperately holding on, pressing himself against Craig as he circled his arms around the android’s neck. Hands snaked around to cup his manhood, as the android jerked him off in front. The redhead gazed through the lustful haze to meet a set of gentle, golden eyes. The android was filling him with pleasure from both ends. He was on the verge of breaking, and he couldn’t hold it inside any longer. With a shout, he came, and simultaneously, he felt a rush of warmth release inside him. The scientist was panting and Craig was oddly spent too. Kyle could feel a rush of cool air hitting his exposed skin as Craig leaned against him. It was strange how _human_ the android seemed in that moment. But, he didn’t mind at all. Craig was such an enigma, always had been. 

Kyle pressed a chaste kiss to the android’s cheek. “How was it?” Craig had looked at him in thrall, expectantly, like a lovesick puppy, an expression that Kyle wasn’t quite expecting. But there were a lot of surprises, like that he and Craig would ever do the deed, or that they would be the last survivors of the Voyager, alone together in a hostile environment. “Well, on a scale of one to ten- I’d give it a - I’m just kidding. It was good.” 

“Just good? I’d say it was more than good.” Craig sulked, “I downloaded an entire terabyte of data on human reproduction to learn the best techniques.” 

“You mean you browsed a load of porn.” Kyle laughed, finding the android’s response highly amusing. “It’s okay. Don’t we all.” 

The android wrapped a sheet around him and a calm settled across Kyle’s features. Even though they were stuck on this foreign planet, they still had each other. Until Kyle took his last breath for the last time, he would have Craig by his side. And this is all the android had ever hoped for. 

He was happy his dream came true. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> S.A.: So this is the penultimate (cryle) ending to Necrosis, and we are curious to which ending you prefer. There are not a lot of stories in which the antagonists win and get a happy ending, so we wanted to break the mold just a little. Thank you for sticking with us through our very first work on ao3. As always, we enjoy and welcome all your thoughts and responses.


End file.
